Exemplary, Baby!

In a "community meeting" tonight in Shelby, the news was announced (finally, after much thanking of people, stories about the difficulties in the district, and clapping): Brooks School (my school) moved from a level 1 priority school to a level 4, exemplary school. Shelby School, the middle school, did the same; and Broad Street, the high school, remained at a level 3. Although the auditorium was only half-full, and only about 20 of those present were parents, the spirit was high and the hearts were in the right place.

We began, as we always do, with a prayer. The head of the school board spoke, highlighting the board's many prayers for the district (3 board members are ministers and the other two are "strong Christians"). She spoke glowingly about our conservator, who entered the community and got into "every crack and crevice; he was like a little roach." Another administrator compared our district to Humpty Dumpty, who had a great fall, except that the "king's men" were the members of the State Board of Education and they did put Humpty back together again. Finally, after the band played a rousing version of the Broad Street high school alma mater, which happens to use the same tune as the Cornell alma mater and thus always throws me off guard at school assemblies, the State Superindendant of Education revealed the ratings and terminated our state control. In closing, the director of some district program mentioned three positive signs in the school community that she had noticed that night: there were so many parents present to show their support and unity with the board (20 parents, out of... over 500?), we are producing stellar graduates (such as the one who won a state contest and gained admission to... Jackson State), and the band director, who was playing with the band, demonstrating strong teacher involvement (without his trumpet bleating the melody, you might have mistaken the band's songs for their warming-up noises.)

I'm happy for the district, I really am, but I felt like there was a lot of smoke blowing tonight. I do have to say, though, that people's hearts are in the right places. There was a spontaneous "G-O-O-D J-O-B, Good Job, Good Job!" after the announcement of the ratings, there were many standing ovations for administrators and state staff, and the mood was very positive. The crowd seems pumped to try hard again this year in order to keep/improve our rating, and I am thus far pleased with my new principal and excited to see how he runs the school.